Seventeen
by OokamiHybrid
Summary: "I don't think everything is as cut and dry as black and white, but some things are just evil. And they have to die. Can I be blamed for this, brother?"
1. Chapter 1

**Seventeen**

"Seventeen people. Just...gone." Sue whispered brokenly. In her hands, she held a crumpled piece of paper. It was from a newspaper article that Emmett had picked up during a run from Alaska. "You hadn't...you didn't notice anything?" She asked Carlisle softly, staring at the old vampire with tired eyes.

She was tired of the fighting, of the hate, of the danger. She gripped Seth's wrist lightly, and he gave her a knowing look. She was tired of the possibility that today, that tomorrow, that _any day of the year_ could be the day her children were taken from her. That Seth and Leah could die. Not in the way normal, reckless young people died. In the way that the supernatural died.

Painfully, quietly off to the side. Where no one would notice, and no one would see. Where Sue would be sitting, waiting, hoping and praying that her children came home to her. Safe. She would be sitting and waiting for the howls to fill the forest, for Pack to break the trees. For her house to be full of the sounds of life, of family.

Sue was tired.

"We didn't stumble upon any of our kind; that is, none that we hadn't met before. A few vegetarians, but not any newborns. Whoever this group is, they're moving fast and covering up their tracks. If it _is_ newborns..." Carlisle trailed off for a moment, letting his words sink into those around him, "Then their leader will be strong. Very strong. To hold that much control over a group of wild, mindless creatures..."

"The Canadian authorities are worried that it's getting too close to our borders." Charlie grumbled. He was standing closer to the wolves, back to the wall. Arms crossed. He was the picture of distrust, eyeing all of them - even Bella - with wary eyes. Still. He trusted Jake and Billy more than he'd ever trust Carlisle. More than he'd ever trust Bella, considering her decisions. "I was reading a report on it. They might stay in Canada, but they're worried about American citizens crossing borders."

"They're saying it's a vigilante. A group of rogue vigilantes." Bella sighed, hand stroking across her husbands lightly.

"That's one rumor. I've heard from a few places online that it's a cult. They choose scum as their sacrifices, rather than animals or 'decent human beings'." Collin's voice was vaguely mocking. He stood the closest to Charlie, slouched over in an attempt to make the human man feel taller.

Charlie had been the one to bail Collin out of jail, the summer before. He had phased human in a girls backyard, the family had called the cops and charged him with sexual harrassment. What they hadn't known, was that a vampire lurked on the other side of their house. They had only seen a naked teenage boy, running in front of their preteen daughters window.

Collin had been devestated, Brady had been amused, and Paul had had bite marks in his butt for a week afterwards, from where the vampire had chomped down to hold in its laughter.

"Draining the bodies completely of blood?" Charlie scoffed. His eyes met Carlisle's, unflinchingly, and he sneered. "Sounds like your kind, Cullen."

"And my kind, dad." Bella added, giving her father an irritated look.

"Yeah. Your kind." Charlie didn't sound impressed. "Could it be your type? Older vampires?"

"For this level of killing, it's unlikely that they're experienced. Seventeen may not seem like a lot, but it's not the number. It's the area. If they were newborns, they'd focus in on one town. Yet if they were experienced, they'd know not to leave the bodies so...public."

"They're bringing attention down on us, though." Jake stepped forward, over the invsibile line everyone had appeared to draw. He was on the Cullen side, now. "Not directly down on _us_, but someone's going to notice something. Bodies drained of blood, completely? They may be scum, but they're humans. We can't just protect the rez. If we let vamps run around eating people, we're not doing our job. No matter where they are. The light shines on them, and the people around here start piecing stuff together, we're screwed."

"Especially not if the media and police have already linked all the killings together. It'll only be a matter of time before all the killings here are shifted away from the wolves. It's been a few years, but...no one forgets that sort of horror." Bella pointed out.

Jacob nodded at her. "Exactly. And if it's in the news, what are the chances the Volturi won't see it? This is getting _big_. If we're coming to the conclusion of vampire..."

Everyone fell still. A new wave of panic settled over the group.

"You know they're going to stop in here. To 'check' on everyone. We didn't have to fight them before, but we can only imagine who else has joined their ranks since the last war. We're strong, but I don't want _either_ of us having casualties." Jacob sounded resigned, yet determined. It was an...odd combination.

"So what do we do?" Leah spoke finally. She had been sitting silently between Paul and Sam, eyes focused on Jake, her alpha.

"We have to find this threat and take it out."

"We'll help." Carlisle added swiftly. "We can't have anyone else coming here." He thought of Renesmee, his granddaughter, and felt Edward stiffen beside him. "Alice, Esme, and Emmett will stay behind to protect the land."

"I'm leaving Quil, Jared and Sam here. Paul, I want you with me."

"When do we leave?" Paul asked, lips quirked into a smirk. He always loved a good fight.

"At dawn."

The meeting was adjourned.

ZZZ

"You know Grandmother, that really is a filthy habit." He said absently, a thin spinal column of a fish dangling from his mouth. He shifted it to scrape at his teeth, eyes dark and amused. "A filthy, filthy habit."

"Not all evil is easy to see, is it?" The female called Grandmother responded. "I mean, a human can be evil, can't it? A cat can be evil, right? I don't think everything is as cut and dry as black and white, but some things are just evil. And they have to die. Can I be blamed for this, brother?"

"No, Grandmother. I suppose not. Come, though. Mother saw what you did. She's calling for us."

"I hear her, brother. I hear her."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Collin shifted his backpack absently, hardly noticing the weight of it across his shoulders. His eyes were focused on the ground, darting side to side, taking everything in. His eyes were focused on the little radio clipped to his jeans. Beside him, Brady lumbered along slowly, his thick fur brushing Collin with every other movement.

Brady was listening too.

_"And the death toll has risen from seventeen to nineteen people confirmed dead. There are two other bodies that have been found, but police have not yet shared whether they believe it is the same group of rogue killers, or unrelated all together. More news at six, for now, enjoy the tunes folks..."_

Brady keened lightly in his throat, butting his head against Collin's chest. Their eyes met, and the wolf turned man quirked his lips. "Hey man, we're taking care of it." His hand rose, fingers sinking into the fur of his brothers neck. He always gave Brady the best neck-scratches. "There won't be any more, okay?"

The wolf nodded and slunk away, brushing lightly against the she wolf. He showed his teeth to the vampire - Jasper, his mind supplied - when the cold one raised an eyebrow at him. He didn't like them being so close to Leah. She was -

_If you say weak, I'll eat you Brady. Just because I'm a girl..._ The she wolf snarled, ears jerking forward angrily. Her fur was bristling along her back, and they watched as Leah drew her slim frame up, trying to appear more dominant.

Brady silently backed away, falling back into place at Collin's side. His head hung and he kept his eyes forward, mentally humming along to the radio.

Leah's head shot up. _Do you hear that?_

"Hear what Leah?" Edward asked in his soft, crisp tone. It had always bothered her, how perfectly he talked. So polite. It was irritating - not to mention different. He was speaking for the benefit of the unphased wolves, and his own family.

_Exactly_, she thought, watching as the phased wolves tightened their circle, boxing the 'humans' and vampires into the middle.

"What do you mean?"

_I don't hear anything._

_Me neither..._Paul added, ears twitching from side to side. Jacob paused a few feet ahead of them, causing all the wolves to freeze.

"What's going on?" Bella asked, brow furrowing. She touched her husbands shoulder lightly, nostrils flaring. "I can't smell anything off..."

"Shh." Edward soothed. He strained his own ears, head tilting. "They're concerned - do you hear how quiet the forest is?"

Carlisle turned in a slow circle, eyes scanning the woods around them. "It's true...I never even noticed. Do you think -"

_Bang_.

The noise filled the air, startling Leah into lunging forward and taking off. Jake tried to catch her, teeth missing her tail by mere inches, and then she was gone. Out of sight.

_Not out of mind_ Seth scoffed, taking chase after his sister. She had the horrible habit of running towards the unknown, despite how she claimed to hate it. _Leah, slow down. Leah! Stop!_

_**Stop.**_

The power of Alpha rolled over them, caused Leah to stumble over her front paws before seizing up. _Jake, what the fu-_

"Leah, it was a gun." Edward's hand was on her hip, and normally she would have tried to devour him. She still couldn't move though, Jake's command a smothering blanket that fell across her body, heavy and controling.

_I hate this, I hate you. Don't fucking touch me. __**Don't. Jacob Black you tell him right now -**_

_Shut up Leah. He's not hurting you._

The she wolf bit her own tongue, blood dribbling slowly to the ground in her rage. She didn't understand how Jake could let _this_ vampire especially touch her, let alone _any_ vampire. He hated Edward Cullen with every fibre of his being. It was unacceptable for the 'man' to steal Jake's love, while he was allowed to touch Jake's _pack_, his _family_ the one's that were on _his fucking side._

_Stop it Leah. This isn't about you._

_No. It's always about you._

Jake's anger at her statement caused all of the wolves to shift uncomfortably, eyeing each other nervously. Jasper reached out mentally, tried to soothe Jacob. The wolf barked in anger and Jasper gave up. He wasn't going to get caught up in pack politics if it wasn't needed.

Leah couldn't move yet, not enough to get away, so she did the next best thing. She phased human, not caring about her nudity, or the men surrounding her. To Jacob, it was a slap in the face. To the pack? It was a move that was well deserved.

She was on all fours and Brady dropped his jacket across her back without thinking. They didn't care about the lack of clothes, but he'd be damned if he let some random vampires oggle her body. Edward snorted at that, but the wolf ignored him, choosing instead to crouch near the she-wolf's head as the others shuffled even closer.

Jacob fumed but retracted his order, turning stiffly to continue on their path. He wasn't running anymore, rather walking slow enough that he looked like he was _stalking_. Every part a wolf on the hunt.

The vampires exchanged worried looks as Leah slipped the jacket on - Brady was tall enough that it covered all the important bits.

The she wolf stayed close to their second youngest pack mate, refusing to make eye contact with anyone. It wasn't out of shame; rather it was out of anger.

Silently, Seth took his sisters other side, wondering where they were going wrong, or if he'd ever be able to fix it. He stayed wolf, quietly letting Jacob and Paul hear his displeasure at the situation.

Jacob did nothing to stop him.

Paul wondered what _that_ meant. The alpha gave him a look of disaproval. Paul didn't particularly care.

ZZZ

"Do you agree with what she does?" The dark one asked, eyes nearly black. She was settled against a tree, watching the mass of white fur that covered two small bodies move and rise with every breath they took.

"No. But I don't disagree with it." He told her, laying at her side. Nothing covered him, nothing at all, but he was content with that.

"How very philosophical of you." Her voice was deep, mocking. She sounded like one who had smoked too many cigarettes, perhaps drank to much burning-liqour in her lifetime.

"You know me, sister." He rumbled back, voice yet an even deeper timbre than hers. "Always the philosophical one." He stretched, one hand crushing a rock with no struggle, as he pushed himself to a sitting position.

One of the bodies shifted, and the woman growled, deep in the back of her throat. It was a dangerous noise, soothing only in the quietness of it. "Sleep Grandmother."

The body fell still.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Leah still wasn't talking to anybody except for the pups. It had been two days since the Cullen incident, and she was still fuming. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

The slowly healing gash across Paul's face was proof of that.

She refused to phase wolf, and hadn't yet changed into actual clothing, choosing instead to wear Brady's jacket. A rather heated argument between Seth and Jacob - one where the alpha had forced _all_ of his pack aside from the beta to be human, so they couldn't hear - had given Leah the right to stay human. For the time being.

Seth was convinced they didn't need his sister at the moment, and he'd be damned if he let her be hurt or angry because their alpha was being a stuborn bastard.

So Leah stayed human, she stayed between Brady and Collin, and the other wolves did rotated shifts. Those who would fight, and those who would be the second wave. First shift consisted of Jacob, Embry, and Collin as the phased wolves. Second was Paul, Seth, and Brady. They switched off every six hours.

Carlisle stayed firmly at the alpha's side, carving his place as the "alpha" of the coven. The move was not lost on the wolves and all of them, including Leah, bared their teeth and fangs in looks similar to grins.

It caused Rosalie to show her own teeth, not bothering to mask the threat as a smile. None of the wolves seemed concerned, though, so she pulled her lips back down before Jasper could swat her upside the back of her head.

Wouldn't do any good to muss her hair up that early in the morning.

ZZZ

_Five days. _They'd been stalking through the damned woods for _five days_ since they began rotating. Nothing. Nothing at all. Collin's radio had died, and the only background noise that existed was the deafening silence of the forest, and the easy in-out of their own breath.

The trip itself was on its nineth day. Nine days of mucking through mud, searching for something they just _could __**not**__ find_, while their family at home was virtually unprotected. The pack tried to assure themselves that three wolves was _plenty_ to protect La Push, especially seeing as Sam did it solo for so long.

Still...they had grown used to having a larger group, multiple wolves to pick up slack where it needed to be picked up.

They were so far away they could hardly hear Sam's thoughts in the back of their minds. And he was the most dominant wolf left at home. They hoped he was okay.

"He's fine." Edward's sentence came from no where, breaking the silence around them. It startled Collin, caused the wolf to jerk and swing sideways into an unphased Brady. They both nearly toppled over, but Embry was there, stabling them from Brady's other side.

"Whose fine?" Leah asked stiffly, not looking at the vampire. She was _still_ furious over the events of five days ago.

"Sam's fine. They're all fine. If they weren't, Alice would have called. We have people there too - you're not unprotected. Alice, Esme and Emmett are still there. Alice will see any attacks and Emmett is our strongest fighter. Nothing is going to happen, and if it does, we'll go back."

"Edward's right. All this worrying isn't getting us anywhere." Carslisle's face was strained as he spoke.

Looking around, Jacob realized _all_ the vampire's looked a little strained. They were running slower too. _What's going on?_ He met Edward's eyes as he asked the question, and his two phased wolves stayed silent.

"We haven't...had anything to drink, since we started this hunt." Edward explained.

_Then we need to go hunting._ Jacob told him. _We're running low on food anyway. If we can find a herd of - something, we can all eat. _

"We'll drain, you dry?" Edward was grinning, his sparkling with mischief and hunger.

"What's going on?" Leah repeated Jacob's question, looking at Rosalie - the only vampire she could stand, even a little.

"I think they're talking about hunting. We need to drink, you need to eat. It's kind of a good arrangement. The bodies won't just be going to waste."

"Excellent." Carlisle slowed to a walk, taking a deep breath of air. "Maybe your wolves should phase Jacob. So they can keep up."

The russet wolf nodded and eyed his pack, watching as each of them stripped and gave in to the change. All of them, except for Leah. Knowing the she-wolf was just being _annoying_, his allowed an alpha order to roll over her mind.

Leah phased, ripping Brady's jacket and the clothes she now wore under it. With an irritated look at the alpha, the she wolf took flight, paws racing across the forest floor.

Edward was the only one able to keep up with her and he ran at her side, laughing at the angry, hateful thoughts she sent his way.

ZZZ

They had settled for the night, long strips of meat drying by a fire. Seth and Leah were the only two that _really_ knew how to skin a deer, thanks to hunting trips with their father. The job had been left to them.

The remains of the deer - the stuff they _wouldn't_ eat - had been placed in the woods away from camp. Normally they'd have buried it, but no one was worried about bears or wild cats coming too close to camp. Not with the vampires around. At least the scavengers of the woods would have a meal that night.

Embry was cooking meat over the fire, on a barbeque rack that Collin had _somehow_ managed to fit into his bag. The younger wolf had grinned cheerily and responded it was always best to be prepared.

Brady had asked if Collin perhaps also had a kitchen sink in his over sized backpack. Everyone had laughed.

"I'm still thirsty." Bella said softly, from her seat on a log. She gave her family an apologetic look, before turning to Jacob. "Will you all be okay if I go out for another drink?" She sounded upset, and the wolf tossed her a grin.

"Don't worry Bells."

Leah rolled her eyes. "We should run a patrol around the area anyway."

Seth nodded, agreeing with his sister. "All of us. It'll be better to have _everyone_ looking. Jake?"

The alpha sighed, but agreed as well. "All right. Let's get moving. We should let dinner cool anyway."

The rack was on the ground, meat strips cooling across it.

"Don't worry about anything stealing the food. With the way they stink," Paul jerked a thumb at the Cullen clan, "I doubt anything would be stupid enough to come close."

They phased yet again and _damn_ but the younger wolves were getting _sore_ from this constant shifting. The alpha hushed their worries and took the lead.

It didn't take them but five minutes for Bella to smell blood. The she-vampire turned towards the scent, following it. She hated having to kill things, but if something was already _dying_ then it saved her a guilty conscience.

"Leah wants to race you, love." Edward chuckled at his wife. He watched her face break into a smile as she picked up pace.

The wolves and vampires aside from Bella and Leah fell back, letting the girls run it out.

The forest was thick where the deer was. There was only a small clearing in the very middle, the trees growing and winding together. It was a cave made of wood and, looking up, Leah knew that no sun would ever reach this place.

The canopy of the "cave" was a mass of tangled branches, foliage thick and green.

The deer was already dead, a small puddle of blood around the hole in her neck.

Something wasn't right.

Leah's head stopped Bella from approaching, not even realizing that the vampire girl wasn't moving forward. Slowly, the wolf stalked through the small opening, eyes scanning everywhere.

Not a noise, or a rustle. Nothing was moving. She couldn't smell any unfamiliar vampire, but something - someone had -

Leah's screech of fear sent all the wolves running.

_Something was ontop of her, on the she-wolves back, and it wasn't letting go._

In their fear, the wolves didn't stop to think - they simply did. Trees crackled and crunched around their bodies, a thick trunk nearly crushing Leah's hind end as Paul's sheer strength sent him through the middle of it.

_Get if off, get it off, it's biting me, __**it's biting me, God, Jacob, I can't get it off!**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

_It was the size of a fucking car_. It wasn't the size that bothered them though, it was the_ eight_ fucking legs, all of which scrambled and clung to Leah's fur. The thing was attached to her side, _running across her_ the weight of it pressing her down.

Paul's heart skipped a beat as he lunged for its...its head?...

The things fangs clicked lightly together, a mixture of saliva and venom dribbling down its face, soaking Leah's fur. Sticking to her, matting her. Leah's voice was a continuous scream in their heads, begging them to just _get it the fuck off of her_.

They could all sense Leah's mind fading as she stumbled, fell to the ground. She was only drowsy, not feeling the burning pain of vampire venom. She was posioned though, the bloody wound on her back coagulating, slower than it should. Her blood was thick in her veins, crawling sluggishly as it tried to keep her organs going.

_Just what in the actual fuck -_

"Spider." Edward choked out, still feeling a bit of shock himself. "It's a spider."

A spider the size of a car, a spider that was twisting around Leah's body, her hind legs giving out both from the venom, and the webs that were curling around them. The she wolf hit the ground hard, the furry, odd looking spider leaping off of her and onto a -

Onto an Embry, because he _refused_ to let that _thing_ escape in the trees. Not after it had hurt Leah. The spotted wolf snarled and twisted his head, nearly grabbing a leg. He slammed his side into a tree, jostling the eight legged beast on his back. He wouldn't let it bite him, he _had to kill it, it hurt Leah._

Paul could hear a rumbling, off to the side - the left. It was coming from the left, but he couldn't bring himself to care, because huge spiders were almost as bad as human drinking vampires, and this was _so not fucking cool_.

He lunged as the spider landed once more on Leah, on his sister, and his fangs were only a hairs width away when he realized his fatal mistake.

The trees to the left - _three of them, shit_ - crumpled and splintered under a mass of white fur. Paul suddenly felt tiny as a deafening, thundering roar filled his ears and then he was flying. Flying through the air, a burning pain in his chest where the paw had connected. Flying over his pack mates head, over Carlisle Cullen, flying, flying, _flying_.

Flying directly into a tree. He went through it, flew through the second one as well. The third was larger, didn't break, but he broke. He could feel his ribs splintering like the wood his body was tangled around, and he tried to howl in pain.

Blood dribbled from his nose and mouth as Paul slid bonelessly down the tree and thumped solidly into the ground below.

He couldn't move.

Vaguely, he could see his packmates trying to take chase after the spider. It was gone, though, they couldn't see it anymore - but that other thing was there, straightening up from the blow it had dealt Paul.

Paul had always thought _they_ were the largest animals.

The bear stood at twelve, nearly thirteen feet tall, and it looked _angry._ Jacob didn't care though, and he was lunging for the creatures throat with deadly accuracy.

The bear lifted a paw and swatted Jacob away from his throat as if their alpha, their largest wolf, was merely an irritating fly. Black lips were curling up over snow-white teeth, and Collin was complaining that _man, this asshole has stinky fish breath_.

Edward was calling for the wolves to stop, just _stop_, and Jacob followed the vampires orders for once, forcing the pack to freeze. They all knew Edward could hear what they couldn't, could see what they couldn't.

The wolves were still lowered into crouched fighting stances as the _second bear_ stepped lightly over Paul. It was smaller than the first, but not by much, and it bent its head to snuffle along the grey wolves neck.

A quiet, mournful sound slipped from its throat as the beast nudged his head into a position that was easier on his spine.

Paul sighed in relief and, unable to move, watched as the bear lumbered forward.

His pack was boxed in. A bear in front, a bear behind. He didn't know who would win.

ZZZ

The bears were watching each other, amusement dancing in their eyes. Eyes that looked much too human for Jacob's liking. Against his better judgement, the alpha turned human once more. He felt smaller than he had as a wolf, more...inadequate.

"I take it you two aren't just regular bears?" He asked, voice low and mocking. Danger hiding behind the slightly playful tone.

The smaller of the two grumbled quietly, but neither of them moved, other than their ears flickering back and forth.

They were listening for something. Jacob sincerely hoped it wasn't more bears. Two of them, they might be able to take. Three? Four? He wasn't certain his pack and the Cullen's could handle it. They weren't trained for this.

"That thing hurt my wolf." He added, arms crossed over his chest. The pups and Seth were huddled protectively around Leah, Brady's sharp teeth working on the webs around her legs.

"Your wolf was trespassing." The voice was silky smooth, giving the impression of mist on water. The woman it belonged to was equally as odd.

She had faded russet skin and glowing gold eyes. Her hair was cut short, sharp around her chin. Straight. She was tall, nearly matching Jacob in height. Scars littered her face and naked torso.

"My wolf was looking for whatever killed that deer." He jerked his chin at the dead doe, eyes narrowed at the approaching woman.

She didn't walk so much as glide, on the balls of her feet. She made no noise as she moved; they couldn't even hear her breathing. Her chest was rising though, and they could smell the blood in her veins. She wasn't a vampire. She was - something.

"The eating habits of others are of no concern to your wolf, or you." Her voice was bland, revealing none of what she thought. "I apologize for what has happened here, wolf. But this isn't your place to protect. I'll ask you to leave now."

"No."

"Excuse me?" Her lips curved finally, a toothless, unamused smile. "Well then, I ask you no longer, wolf. I'm telling you. Leave."

The larger bear strode forwards, rising to his full height on the womans left side. The smaller bear kept her post, keeping the pack and coven boxed in on either side.

"I'm not leaving. That thing al-"

"She's not a thing, she's a child. More importantly, she's one of mine. She was merely protecting her land, the same way you protect yours. Leave now, wolf. I won't say it a fourth time. This is your last chance."

Jacob shook his head and leaned forward.

The larger of the bears dropped to all fours.

Ready.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

"**Kassuq**." The woman's voice held the power of Alpha, of leader. She wasn't looking at the bear though; her eyes were focused directly on Jacob's and he gave a slight shudder. It was as if she could see things he couldn't. "Your pride and eagerness to battle will get you killed, boy."

Ah, she had stopped refering to Jake as wolf. He was crouching a bit, ready for the bear. His eyes were still locked with _hers_ though. "What? I liked the name wolf. Sort of fitting."

"Trust me when I tell you that boy makes more sense. You're an ignorant child." Her eyes flashed with anger, and she gave him a cool smile. "You do not deserve the title of wolf. You don't even deserve to be called puppy. So instead, I will call you boy. It is after all, what you are." She turned away from him the _slightest_ bit, and it was like a slap to the face. A dismissal. "Kassuq, go and fetch Grandmother."

The bears quiet growling spluttered to a stop. He snorted angrily, rising once more to his hind legs. He towered above the woman, white body dwarfing her in his shadow. It was clear to all of them that the bear was not impressed with the command.

The woman flicked the bear in one of his massive paws, ignoring his grunt of pained irritation. "_**Go.**_ Get Grandmother."

Grumbling in complaint, the bear lumbered off into the woods.

The woman settled in the dirt, cross legged. "I trust you'll wait here with me, boy?" She asked Jacob, inclining her head in invitation. The alpha sat in front of her, looking confused. "We can't finish this until you speak with Grandmother." She explained, yawning boredly.

The female bear, the smaller one, crept around the pack to stretch out against the womans back. She snuffled at the womans hair, against her ear, quiet growls filling the air.

"One of your puppies is dying, boy." The woman closed her eyes and leaned on the mass of muscle behind her. "I suggest going to it."

The alpha's head whipped to the side so he could stare at Leah. The she-wolf was finally free of the webs that had gripped at her legs, but her eyes were half asleep. She was fine.

"Not that puppy, boy." The woman still hadn't opened her eyes. "The one further into the woods. Kassuq did a bit of damage."

_Paul_.

Jacob leapt to his feet, Carlisle at his heels, when the woman called out softly, "Make sure you don't move his head too much." The alpha froze long enough to look back at her in concern and confusion.

"Spinal damage, Jacob. We can't move his head until we know his spine is fine." Carlisle murmured. He hadn't stopped, he had sped up, and he was finally at Paul's side. He quietly lowered himself to his knees by the wolf's head. "Paul. I need to -"

"Don't bother." He grunted, turning his head to the side. "That - that bear put my head in the right place." He struggled to sit up, two sets of hands helping him. One cold, one hot. He shuddered at the cold, despite it being a welcoming difference to his burning skin.

Jacob really wished he knew what the hell was going on.

ZZZ

Someone was whistling. Whistling and crunching the thick under growth of the woods. Someone was making as much noise as possible as they wandered towards the tree-cave.

The bear and woman hadn't moved yet, creating a sort of...line across their small clearing. The wolves and vampires stayed firmly on the other side, standing close enough to touch. It was putting the vampires on edge.

Paul and Leah were the only two wolves sitting. Human once more, and fully dressed. Neither of them were in any shape to be fighting. It would be up to the rest of the pack if things turned south.

"Why are you so far from home, boy?" The woman looked as if she were asleep, breathing soft, eyes closed.

"We're looking for something that's killing humans."

She paused in her breathing - and really, that was just _so weird_, they _needed_ to breathe, Leah thought - and opened on eye. Her lips parted, closed, then opened again. "I see."

_Crunch_.

He was over seven feet tall. His hair was cut short, just below his ears. It was tucked behind his ears, black as ink. His skin was a lighter russet than their own, and he was whistling as he walked. A small, content smile graced his face.

Atop his shoulders was a little girl.

She couldn't have been older than eight, dark dark hair tied into a thick braid over her right shoulder. Her legs were wrapped around his neck, suffocatingly tight, and she was shaking with fear.

"Kassuq." The woman smiled at the man...bear. Her smile wasn't friendly like his own, though.

"Cha'tima." He responded, his sparkling with silent laughter. He tightened his grip on the small girls ankles, bouncing his shoulders to jostle her up and down. "I have done as you have asked." He rumbled.

"Yes. Set her down."

A murmur fell upon the pack as they eyed the little girl warily.

"I thought you were bringing your grandma?" Leah asked, lips curved back from her teeth the smallest bit.

Kassuq, the bear-man, settled the girl on the ground. She came up to his hips, which was still tall for her age. Hands fluttered to her braid, nervous and scared, before she dropped it back to her side. "I am Grandmother. Or, Unktomi if you prefer. They call my Grandmother." She pointed at both bears, before turning to Jacob. She stared at his mouth, rather than meeting his gaze. "I am sorry I tried to eat your wolf. The thing is, you're in my territory. If I were to enter yours, would you not kill me?"

She definately didn't _sound_ like a little girl.

"No. I wouldn't."

"Is that a lie, alpha?" She smiled, nervously. "Or is it truth? You travel with their kind, so I'm inclined to think of it as truth." She nodded at Carlisle. "You go willingly with the gold-eyed cold ones." She pointed out.

Jacob shifted, moving his body in front of Bella.

"Don't worry, boy. We have no interest in harming those that can't control who they are." Cha'tima said calmly. "Your cold ones don't drink from the flesh of humans; and even if they did, a quick death to ones food isn't something we have the right to judge. Just keep them on a tight leash."

"Is this all of you?" Jake asked, letting his eyes roam over the other...group.

"No." Unktomi said briskly, turning to the forest. "This isn't all of us. Mother, will you make them leave?" She glanced at Embry, looking uncomfortable.

Cha'tima followed the childs line of sight, a look of unease crossing her own face. "You are hunting a human killer. We will join you. These are our woods, we'll get through them faster. Once you find your killer, you will leave. Am I understood?"

The alpha and coven leader nodded, grateful to have more help.

Cha'tima turned her back on them, quietly watching her spider child smile.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

"Don't like the way she's lookin' at me." Embry muttered to his alpha, close to Jacob's side. The spider child, Unktomi, had been watching him from her perch on Kassuq's shoulder for nearly an hour.

They were heading back towards their original camp. Cha'tima and her merry band of misfits had joined them, sticking to their word. Yes, they were going to help Jacob find his human killer - and then they would chase the pack and coven from their land. Of this, Jacob was certain.

"Get over it, Emb. She's just a kid." Leah said sarcastically from her seat. The she bear, whose name was Nukka, had offered herself up as a carriage for the injured wolves. Cha'tima had told them it was the _least_ they could do. It was after all, her bears' fault that two wolves were down for the count.

"Says the victim." Embry shot back, voice taking on a mocking tone.

Cha'tima gave him a critical look but said nothing.

Noticing the tension, Unktomi settled her face against Kassuq's hair, eyes fluttering shut. Nearly sleeping, none of them could believe that this was the child who had nearly killed Leah, their fastest wolf.

A pang of guilt bubbled in Embry's stomach, bile rising in his throat. He hadn't thrown up since his transformation, hadn't felt sick since the change took him. Still; he couldn't escape this feeling. He had attacked a child. A strong child, but a child none the less.

Paul slid his gaze over the spotted wolf, the same guilt dancing in his eyes.

_She's the same age as Claire_, Embry thought. He swallowed thickly, trying to bite back the urge to vomit. He had always thought they were fighting the good cause. If he killed a child, could he still claim he wasn't a monster?

He just didn't know.

The scent of cold meat pulled Embry from his thoughts, stomach rumbling loudly. The bear, Kassuq chuckled deeply at him, eyes full of laughter.

"Does the wolf not run on an empty stomach, brother?" He asked, voice playful. He nuzzled his head a bit closer to the girl on his shoulders, expression softening at her sleepy murmur.

Embry didn't know why, but he smiled. "Nope. This wolf needs a full stomach before he does anything, _brother_."

For some reason, the use of the word caused the bear to grin. His body relaxed and he hummed in agreement. "This bear likes to have a fully stomach as well. However, it takes much food to fill me. Is it the same for you?"

"It's the same for all of us, Kassuq." Cha'tima cut in. She leapt lightly over a fallen tree, stalking slowly into the campsite. She touched nothing, yet looked at everything. Not in wonder, but in amusement.

That offended Jacob more than being called _boy_. He bristled as he helped Leah off of Nukka's back, settling the she wolf against a log so she could sit up. Her and Paul were mostly healed. Carlisle was the one who wanted them to be carried and, despite being shape shifting wolves, they knew _when_ to listen to the good doctor.

Jacob wondered what this Cha'tima was. She didn't smell of wolf. She smelt like ammonia, like bleach. Similar to the vampires, but faint. Crisp, autumny. He inhaled deeply, ignoring Leah's snort of laughter.

Embry and Paul didn't care if the meat was cold. They each stole a piece from the grill, chewing happily as they sat by the now-dead fire. The venom was still in Leah's veins, making her groggy, so she growled until Seth snagged _two_ pieces for her.

Pleased, she chewed.

Nukka wandered into the woods, still as a bear. She came back as a woman, arms loaded with fire wood. She was dressed - barely. A pair of black womens underwear and a sports bra - the she bear wasn't very well endowed - were all she wore.

Brady flushed darkly and dropped his eyes when Kassuq looked at him. The bear merely laughed and clapped the wolf on the shoulder. "Women are to be appreciated, yes?"

"Shut up, whore." Nukka tossed back, dropping the wood at Paul's feet. "Stop being a bad influence on the pups." She turned to Leah, a serious look on her face. "Watch yourself she-wolf. He's a bit grabby."

"Hey how come you call her wolf?" Brady complained. He was feeling...comfortable, with the bears. That spider thing still weirded him out, and Cha'tima was...dominant feeling. It made him uneasy.

"Because she's a girl. Us girls have to stick together." Nukka explained, snatching Unktomi from atop her brothers shoulder. She laid the girl on her brothers jacket, beside the fire Kassuq was making.

Cha'tima lowered herself to the ground as well. Carlisle stood near her, Jacob sat across from her once more.

"If we're to be leading you through the woods, I wish for you and yours to be listening to me." She said calmly. "There are many cold ones here, red eyes. They will not hesitate to attack, and I am only too familiar at the weakness of eager wolves. I don't wish for anyone to have casualties, despite Unktomi's little snack earlier."

Jacob leaned forward, nodding at her. "How come her venom didn't kill Leah? A vampire's would have."

"Unktomi is not a cold one. She is a shifter, like you and I. The venom isn't meant to attack. It slows the heart and puts its victims to sleep. It will only slow us down, not knock us out. It still gives her an advantage is fighting our kind." Her eyes flickered to Carlisle. "And your kind as well. A deer, or elk, or even a human would have fallen asleep and she would have fed."

"She drinks blood?" Jacob's voice was full of disgust as he stared at the woman.

Cha'tima didn't look away from Carlisle. "You don't have any right to judge mine, boy, when you keep the company that you do."

Jacob opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off,

"I don't wish to hear meaningless excuses. Your wolves will be healed by the morning, and then we'll begin our travel."

"Where's the rest of your group?"

"They aren't of your concern, boy. They won't be joining us. Not until I know you won't turn on us. Dogs are the one who turn rabid the fastest. When I trust that no foam will come from your mouth, then I will let the others come. Until then, put them out of your mind. Go to bed, now. Kassuq will stand first watch."

Cha'tima pulled herself from the ground and settled on a thick, low tree branch.

Nukka curled around Unktomi, back to the pack. The girls front was covered by the fire, her back covered by the bear.

The pack and coven weren't trusted.

_Good_, Jacob thought, _I don't trust them either._

He put Seth on guard duty that night, too.


End file.
